Thursday: 9 Iraqis Killed, 54 Wounded

On the eve of Eid al-Adha, at least nine Iraqis were killed and 54 more
wounded. The holiday, which commemorates Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice
his son, is set to begin Friday for Sunnis and Saturday for Shi’ites.

Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki warned
that the elections law dispute is a threat to national security and criticized
Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi for vetoing the bill.

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair admonished
Iraq leaders for not upholding press freedoms. A journalist working for the Guardian
newspaper was fined after reporting that members of the Iraqi national
intelligence service were complaining about Maliki increasing authoritarianism.
The Iraqi prime minister claimed that the intelligence service instigated the
defamation suit. Not only is Iraq dangerous for journalists to work in, the
government has instituted many requirements
that further restrict reporters.

At a British inquiry, former British Ambassador Christopher
Meyer said
Former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice tried to find a connection
between the Sept. 11 attacks and Saddam Hussein just hours after attacks took
place.

In the U.S., defense lawyers working for five Blackwater
security guards accused of killing 17 Iraqis in a controversial shootout alleged
misconduct on the part of Justice Department prosecutors.

A Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) official was killed during a
blast in Saidiya. The man was running in upcoming elections. Saidiya is
part of a disputed area that borders the Kurdish Autonomous Region.